


Red

by Maruchii



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Might be full of grammar errors, Not Beta Read, This might be bad so please don't expect too much, mention of rape, mention of suicide, sensitive content, trigger content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maruchii/pseuds/Maruchii
Summary: "Let's. . play. . a. . game. .", She said"What game?...", He askedGrinning maniacally, she answered"Hide.. and.. seek.. I'm.. it.."





	1. Red

"One... Two... Three... Ready... Or... Not... here... I... Come..."

A sound of jingling bells echoed through the dark hallways.

Tap. Ti-ling. Tap. Ti-ling. Tap. Ti-ling.

Footsteps along with the jingles stop..

A pair crying eyes reflected fear.

"Somebody help..." they whispered.

Sweaty hands clasped together in a praying manner. The praying child soon started trembling. Not because of the dark room.. But due to the silence. No sound was heard. No scratching nor tapping. The child got more terrified. He tried adjusting his teary eyes in the dark to look for someone... no something. He looked behind him. None. On either side of him. Still none. But infront of him...

Teary eyes widen upon the sight of the pale girl wearing a bloody red hood.

"Found... You..."

After that... No more cries for help were heard... only footsteps with jingling bells and something that's being dragged on the floor...

× × ×

The resonating bell signals the end of classes. Students started packing their things while teachers added some notes for their students. The rooms were almost empty except for one. A male student was slowly gathering his things.

"Justin! Hurry up or we'll leave you!"

"Oh! Yes, Sorry"

The student named Justin apologized and quickly put all his things in his bag. Soon, he joined his friends. A group of four. Two girls and two boys. His friend John, kept talking about some new games that Justin isn't interested in. He was busy thinking about the the topic of today's class. Hanna, one of his friends tapped his shoulder.

"Justin, you seemed so spaced out. Are you okay?"

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"Sorry bout that. I was just thinking about our class's topic. Don't worry I'm fine"

Justin smiled to reassured her. Hanna smiled and was about to say something but was interrupted by Jiro.

"Our Class #1's always thinking about classes. Can you please stop for just like 1 day?" Jiro asked while being too close to Justin.

"I can't. Our teacher said it's going to appear in our exam. And I'm not the class #1. It's always Lyra"

Justin pushed Jiro and then pointed to the other girl in their group. The said girl grinned from ear to ear and asked him.

"Eyyy.. Don't tell me you want to beat me that much?"

"I don't"

"But your face says so"

"Shut up!"

"Ahh! Justin really wants to be the class #1" Jiro piped up.

"I don't!"

"Good luck, Justin" Hanna cheered while smiling

"I said I don't. Can you please shut up?"

Justin said starting to get annoyed. The three just laughed. Soon, one by one they separated from each other. And at last, Justin was left alone.

He walk along the stone pavement under the moonlight. He saw a few pebbles and kicked them while walking for him to hear a bit of noise. He won't say it out loud but the eerie silence makes him feel uncomfortable.

Just as he was about to take a turn on the street toward his house, he saw a glimpse of red. He stop in his tracks.

He tried looking directly at the dark playground in front of him. Nothing unusual. Just a silent playground. He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking home.

× × ×

"One... Two... Three..."

"I told you it's not a good idea to play with this girl! She's a demon!" a guy shrieked.

"I'm... not... a... demon..." and the tilt her head while her eyes bore at the group of boys that's cowering in fear.

"But... I... don't... mind... becoming... one... for... you..." she said and smiled.

The boys' horror, her smile showed her teeth that are like razors which are smeared with blood. Blood of those people who tried playing with her.

"Hey... big... brother... I'm... hungry..."

"No! Please! Let me live!!"

"Please?..."

The group suddenly felt chills down their spines when their eyes caught the girl's reaction. She was looking at them with an emotionless face. Her head, tilt upwards with her eyes looking at them downwards. Silence hovered for a few seconds until a chorus of scream echoed on the abandoned building.

The sound of breaking, cracking and chewing filled the metallic smelled building. Sounds of objects being dragged also resonated on the walls.

"I... tried... pleading... for... mercy... too... but... no... one... listened..."

Tap. Ti-ling. Drag

"Misters... pleading... for... your... life... already... for... a... short... period... of... time... isn't... fun..."

Tap. Ti-ling. Drag

The little girl drag the seven bodies of the boys shes playing earlier with. Their dull lifeless eyes reflected the building's entrance. And slowly... Slowly... The entrance get farther... and farther... until only darkness reflected on their glass eyes.

× × ×

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, places and events are purely coincidental and not on purpose. This work contajns Sensitive and Trigger Contents. Reader Discretion is advised.


	2. Scarlet

Early morning light seeps through white curtains followed by the chirping sounds of birds in the tree tops. An alarm blares through the silent room and a groan sounded from the lump of sheets on the bed.

Justin removes the blanket obscuring his eyes and turned off his alarm. He checked the time and decided to do his morning routine.

× × ×

'A couple of college students were found dead inside an abandoned building near a shopping mall in Okinakawa. Police investigators said the victims' identities are still unknown due to the reason that the corpses are mangled and beyond recognition. But police are encouraging everyone to report if there are missing people in their town. More information about the crime will be reported as soon the police gave another statement about the investigation.

"How cruel. And they're still students..", Hana, Justin's mother said while preparing the table for breakfast.

"Good morning..", Justin greeted to his mom. His ears caught the voice of the female newscaster and automatically his eyes scanned the images shown on the television.

"Oh, good morning Justin. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. What's with that expression?", he questioned his mother who shows a pitied look on her eyes while he proceeds to sit across from her.

"Well, I'm just so sad that those innocents kids died in their early years. They still have so many things ahead of them. By the way, where did your get the stain on your shirt yesterday?"

His eyes that were on the plate shot up and gaze straight at her. With furrowed brows he questioned her,

"Stain? What stain?"

"I don't know what it is but it looks like a tiny dot. If looks maroon-ish in color. It's in your collar"

Justin tried to recollect some events the day before to find where he got that stain. His eyes lit up in recognition when he remembered where he got it.

"Ah! I remember where I got it. John decided to prank me and made an ink bomb. I don't know where he got the information and idea for it. I'll wash it later, don't worry"

"Oh no, it's fine. It's just a bit surprising that you got your uniform dirty. I know how OCD you are. I remember when you were just a little kid. You cried when Lin threw a ball of mud on you" his mom recollected while trying to stifle her giggles. Justin playfully glared at her while chuckling.

"Please don't remind me. That memory is so embarrassing and isn't supposed to be talk about again"

"Why because you look a girl when crying?"

"MOM!"

"Sorry, sorry"

And the news about yesterday was forgotten in a breakfast full of laughter and reminiscing.

× × ×

On his way to school, Justin again passed by the empty playground. The sound of the rusting swing set reached his ears. His eyes gaze at it and he saw a girl playing in it. At first, it was just a normal sight. But what caught his attention is the cloth draped around the girl's shoulder. It looks like a...

"Red poncho..."

Wide eyes blinked in realization. He only know one girl who has a strange fixation that type of cloth.

"Lin..."

He took a heavy step towards the girl in the swing set. But the girl either didn't notice him or wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

"Lin..."

Another step and the girl's still not paying attention to him.

"Lin!"

He shouted and was about to run to her but as he blink a gust of wind blew the sand from the abandoned sandbox behind the swing and got into his eyes. After letting his tears wash the dust away, Justin look the swing again and found that the girl is gone. The sound the swing being ride on before can't be heard anymore and look as though it hasn't been touched in years.

"What the heck did I just saw?"

He shakes his head and look at his watch. It's still 8 am and he still have an hour before class starts. He just decided to go school and forget what happened. With one last look at the swing set, he set off for school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, places and events are purely coincidental and not on purpose. This work contajns Sensitive and Trigger Contents. Reader Discretion is advised.


	3. A drop of Scarlet

Red

The color that she can't live without..

or so she said.

Everything in her possession were painted red..

Her bag,

her pencils,

her notebooks,

and more. But the one that she loved the most,

Her poncho.

She's so attached to it that you can't see her without it.

Even in hot weather, you can see it around her.

I ask her if she doesn't feel hot

She only shrugged her shoulders while saying,

"I like this poncho. No. To be precise, I love it. So it doesn't matter whether I feel hot or cold"

I remembered shaking my head at that. She's weird. And coming from me that's not good..

She loves Red

Everything that's painted with that color.. Especially that poncho..

But one day,

I asked her, "Where are you going?"

"My friend's"

"Who?"

I don't remember her having a friend. She doesn't talk much in school and only likes to be left alone. So it came as a surprise when she said she's going to someone's place.

"No one important that you needed to know"

"Rude. I'm older than you.."

She only stuck her tongue out to me and then smiled,

"I'll be back before 5 pm"

and then, she's out of the door.

× × ×

It's already 5 pm. No sign of her.

Another hour have passed. Again, no sign of her.

Mother and I are so worried. I phoned all of her classmates asking whether she had been in their place but everyone said "No. She's not"

We're getting restless. Mother's already dialing the police Dept. number when the front door opened. 

Both of us rush at the door. And there we saw her. Mother was about to ask where she have been but she only whispered. I needed to strain my ears to hear her. And what I heard is baffling..

"I hate red. I don't like it anymore.."

I asked her what happened. But she only look down on the floor. I followed her gaze and that's when I— we saw it..

Red .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Running down her legs..

.

.

.

.

.

.

She hates red.

Everything that's painted with that color.. Especially that poncho..

She hates them..

I do too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, places and events are purely coincidental and not on purpose. This work contajns Sensitive and Trigger Contents. Reader Discretion is advised.


	4. Vermilion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains : Mention of Suicide and Rape. Reader Discretion is advised.

"Hey, have you watched the news?"

"Yeah. It's so scary! How could someone do something so horrible?! My god I'm still getting goosebumps"

Those are the words that reached Justin's ears upon opening the classroom door. He scanned the room to look for the group talking about the morning news. Upon seeing them in the corner of the room with open notebooks lying on the table, he can only shake his head. He proceed to go to his own desk and do any homework that he forgot to do the night before.

A scraping noise caught his attention from his notes and look upon the person who caused it. He's not surprised that it's his friend, John. Sighting the grin on his face, he already knew what going to come out of his mouth.

"Have you—"

"Heard the news. Yeah, I did. Mom was watching the news earlier. I can't even focus on my breakfast because of that," He grimaced. Remembering the blurred images and the topic that his mother brought up.

"Man! The suspect must be a psycho. With all those mangled faces and ugh! Remembering the news makes me want to throw up my breakfast," John made a gagging noise.

"Can you please stop that. The image that you put on my mind is so disgusting," Justin pushed John away with his face scrunched up.

"Not my fault that you have a wide imagination," John shrugged his shoulders while trying hard not to laugh at his friend.

"I hate you"

"I know. I love you too~," John stood up and ran before Justin can threw the eraser he's holding.

× × ×

The morning class passed by like a blink a of an eye. The usual silent room suddenly got filled with chatters and scraping noises.

"Oh yeah. It's time for lunch. I wonder if Mom packed a lunch for me..," Justin whispered to himself.

"Hey! Hey! Let's eat on the rooftop. The sun is radiant and the wind isn't that cold!," Hanna banged his desk and that almost cause him to let out a girly shriek.

"What the—?! Why do people like to mess with me today?," Justin grumbled after recovering from his shock.

Hanna only threw him a huge grin in which he reciprocated with a glare. Deciding that he don't have any energy to argue with her, he silently rummage his bag for his lunch and followed Hanna out of the classroom.

"Ah~! The weather is so nice today! I can't wait to see what's everyone's lunch!," she exclaimed while bounding up the stairs. An obvious bounce in her steps brought a frown on his face.

"You didn't bring any lunch again?,"

"Yeah. I overslept. Binge watch some animes," she laughs like it's a normal thing.

"You and your animes," Justin can only shake his head and Hanna took it as an insult.

"Hey! Animes are life! So don't show that ugly disappointed face at me!," she points her finger between his eyes while trying to give a scary glare.

Justin can only roll his eyes while opening the rooftop 's door.

"Hey! Don't ignore me you—!"

"Stop fighting you lovebirds! Hahaha!," John called to them. The two glared at him and get cause him to laugh louder.

× × ×

"Ah~ I'm full! Thanks for the meal!," Hanna flashed them a huge grateful grin and in turn receive "No problem"s except for Justin, who cleaned his mess with a huff.

"You should make your own lunch. We're not your personal pantry," He grumbled but only receive another huge grin. He resisted the urge to plant his face on his palms while mumbling "Why am I friends with you?".

"Hey, cheer up. We don't mind besides we all knew Hanna's situation at home," Lyra interjected while elbowing his side.

'Oh, yeah. Hanna's family isn't getting enough financial support right now'. Justin suddenly felt guilty and kept his mouth shut.

"Stop talking about me and let's talk about the fresh from the oven issue this morning," Hanna waved her hand to dismissed any discussion about her family and opted to change the topic.

"Oh, Yes. About the murder from last night. As I told Justin this morning, I really think the murderer is a psycho. How can he stomach all of that?," John shuddered.

"There's even a rumor going around," Jiro inserted.

"Rumor? What rumor?," Lyra questioned.

"About the rape Incident last year. Everyone in my neighborhood keep talking about it. Saying "Karma finally bit back" at them," Jiro explained after taking a sip from the milk carton in his hand.

This caught Justin's attention and he paused from stuffing his utensils inside their pouch. He turned to Jiro asking him to elaborate.

"You only moved here this year, right? Well, last year maybe a month or two before the last semester there's an incident involving highschool students. It's a rape incident and the parents of the victim even brought it to court but those high schoolers got a "Not Guilty" verdict since they don't have enough evidence to prove their guilt. People said that after their defeat, the family moved away from here. 

"And before the school year ended, news spread that the victim committed suicide. There's not much information about the incident and whether the suicide's true or not. But as a respect for her memory, we always leave flowers for her on her former table,"

"That's right. Wait, what's today's date?," John questioned, almost jumping from his position on the floor.

"It's December 6. Why? Oh..," Hanna said quizzically and then her shoulders sagged upon realization.

"Today's her death anniversary..," Lyra solemnly said.

Silence hovered over them before Justin decided to break it. His mind is whirling with questions that he want answers to but decided not push upon seeing his friends gloomy faces.

"I hope you don't mind me asking.. But do you know the victim's name?," He mumbled while looking in his lap.

"We don't mind. She's our late classmate. Her name's Lin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, places and events are purely coincidental and not on purpose. This work contajns Sensitive and Trigger Contents. Reader Discretion is advised.


End file.
